Reaction: 59th Annual Grammy Award Nominees

Grammy nomination reactions: Monumental snubs are few and far between in this year’s group of nominees.

The 59th Annual Grammy Award nominations have been announced. Overall, it’s tough to find big-time snubs throughout the field. Sure, the Grammys failed to nominate the late David Bowie for album of the year, but they did give the icon some nods. Yes, last year’s Best New Artist Meghan Trainor failed to earn a nomination this year, but there were better albums and performances. And while many guys could identify with the “Pillowtalk” of which Zayn sung about, we weren’t sold on it earning him a Grammy. After examining the Grammy field for the 2017 ceremony, here are some reactions to the most notable nominations.

1. Record of the Year

Adele, “Hello” (25)

Beyoncé, “Formation” (Lemonade)

Lukas Graham, “7 Years” (Lukas Graham)

Rihanna ft. Drake, “Work”

Twenty One Pilots, “Stressed Out” (Blurryface)

Reaction: According to our predictions, we only nailed two of them: Adele (“Hello”) and Lukas Graham (“7 Years”). We knew that Beyoncé had a shot at earning a nod for “Formation.” Earlier in the year, “Work” was a trendy pick that lasted beyond its peak. The surprise comes with Twenty One Pilots’ “Stressed Out,” which is a well-rounded choice. All in all, no complaints.

2. Album of the Year

Adele, 25

Beyoncé, Lemonade

Justin Bieber, Purpose

Drake, Views

Sturgill Simpson, A Sailor’s Guide to Earth

Reaction: Three of these five choices come as no surprise: Adele, Beyoncé, and Drake. Justin Bieber’s inclusion for Purpose isn’t far-fetched – it was always a possibility. The head-scratcher comes with Sturgill Simpson’s A Sailor’s Guide to Earth. Why not David Bowie or Rihanna? Still, A Sailor’s Guide to Earth is a well-rounded country album.

3. Song of the Year

Beyoncé, “Formation” (Lemonade)

Adele, “Hello” (25)

Mike Posner, “I Took a Pill in Ibiza”

Justin Bieber, “Love Yourself”

Lukas Graham, “7 Years” (Lukas Graham)

Reaction: Three out of five isn’t too bad (Adele, Lukas Graham, and Justin Bieber). Beyoncé managed to earn another nod for “Formation,” also not far-fetched. The biggest surprise is Mike Posner’s nod for “I Took a Pill in Ibiza.” Good song, but still surprising.

4. Best New Artist

Kelsea Ballerini

The Chainsmokers

Chance the Rapper

Maren Morris

Anderson .Paak

Reaction: Again, three out of five predicted correctly (The Chainsmokers, Chance the Rapper, and Maren Morris). Kelsea Ballerini became a breakout star, but still, isn’t it surprising they opted for her over say Alessia Cara? Anderson .Paak is a pleasant surprise in urban circles, but certainly not a mainstream nominee.

5. Best Pop Solo Performance

Adele, “Hello” (25)

Beyoncé, “Hold Up” (Lemonade)

Justin Bieber, “Love Yourself”

Kelly Clarkson, “Piece by Piece (Idol Version)”

Ariana Grande, “Dangerous Woman” (Dangerous Woman)

Reaction: All in all, this is a respectable slate of nominees. The inclusion of “Piece by Piece” is a bit surprising, as is Beyoncé’s nod in the pop category for “Hold Up.” Still, “Hold Up” should definitely be nominated – one of the best songs off of Lemonade.

6. Best Pop Duo / Group Performance

The Chainsmokers ft. Halsey, “Closer”

Lukas Graham, “7 Years” (Lukas Graham)

Rihanna ft. Drake, “Work”

Sia ft. Sean Paul, “Cheap Thrills”

Twenty One Pilots, “Stressed Out” (Blurryface)

Reaction: Another excellent set of nominees. No complaints whatsoever.

8. Best Pop Vocal Album

Adele, 25

Justin Bieber, Purpose

Ariana Grande, Dangerous Woman

Demi Lovato, Confident

Sia, This is Acting

Reaction: Kudos for Demi Lovato receiving a nomination for Confident, an underrated, but exceptional pop album. Otherwise, the nominees appear as expected.

Reaction: Two live recordings? There are several ways to take the fact that live recordings are nominated in place of two studio recordings. Did 2016 have a lack of Grammy-worthy nominees in the rock category? Perhaps. The three studio recordings are fantastic choices: Beyoncé nominated for “Don’t Hurt Yourself,” David Bowie for “Blackstar,” and Twenty One Pilots for “Heathens.”

15. Best Rock Album

Blink-182, California

Cage the Elephant, Tell Me I’m Pretty

Gojira, Magma

Panic! At The Disco, Death of a Bachelor

Weezer, Weezer

Reaction: The nominees for best rock album are surprising. No disrespect to the nominees, but any other year, none of these artists might normally be nominated for this award. Arguably, these nominees speak to the changing face of rock music as well as a weaker rock field in 2016.

16. Best Alternative Music Album

Bon Iver, 22, A Million

David Bowie, Blackstar

PJ Harvey, The Hope Six Demolition Project

Iggy Pop, Post Pop Depression

Radiohead, A Moon Shaped Pool

Reaction: Best alternative music album is always a tight category. This year is no different. Most surprising is the fact that David Bowie (Blackstar) ended up in this category as opposed to Best Rock album.

17. Best R&B Performance

BJ the Chicago Kid, “Turnin’ Me Up” (In My Mind)

Ro James, “Permission” (Eldorado)

Musiq Soulchild, “I Do” (Life on Earth)

Rihanna, “Needed Me”

Solange, “Cranes in the Sky” (A Seat at the Table)

Reaction: Sigh, the R&B field has changed over the years, including many unpredictable nominees. The five nominees here are great choices, but it’s surprising to see the likes of Anthony Hamilton and Maxwell snubbed here. No “Amen” and no “Lake By the Ocean”? Really?

18. Best Traditional R&B Performance

William Bell, “The Three of Me” (This is Where I Live)

BJ the Chicago Kid, “Woman’s World” (In My Mind)

Fantasia, “Sleeping with the One I Love” (The Definition Of…)

Lalah Hathaway, “Angel” (Lalah Hathaway Live)

Jill Scott, “Can’t Wait” (Woman)

Reaction: Another category where one questions why Anthony Hamilton doesn’t get a nod. Fantasia had a lackadaisical offering with The Definition of…, but it’s best song rightfully gets a nod here (“Sleeping with the One I Love”).

19. Best R&B Song

PARTYNEXTDOOR ft. Drake, “Come See Me” (PartyNextDoor 3 (P3))

Bryson Tiller, “Exchange” (T R A P S O U L)

Rihanna, “Kiss It Better” (Anti)

Maxwell, “Lake By the Ocean” (blackSUMMERS’night)

Tory Lanez, “Luv” (I Told You)

Reaction: Maxwell gets the nod here, thank goodness. Kudos to nominating “Exchange” for Best R&B song. As to why PARTNEXTDOOR got a nod over many better R&B songs…hmm.

20. Best Urban Contemporary Album

Beyoncé, Lemonade

Gallant, Ology

KING, We Are King

Anderson .Paak, Malibu

Rihanna, Anti

Reaction: Nice to see lesser-known acts Anderson .Paak, Gallant and, KING earn a Grammy nomination here. Their reward is going up against Beyoncé (Lemonade) and Rihanna (Anti) of course.

21. Best R&B Album

BJ the Chicago Kid, In My Mind

Lalah Hathaway, Lalah Hathaway Live

Terrance Martin, Velvet Portraits

Mint Condition, Healing Season

Mya, Smoove Jones

Reaction: This is a category that baffles as of late. To its credit, it does award less mainstream artist, particularly those more soulful. That said, it is inexcusable that Anthony Hamilton (What I’m Feelin’) and Maxwell (blackSUMMERS’night) aren’t nominated here.

About the musical hype

the musical hype aka Brent Faulkner has earned Bachelor and Masters degrees in music (music Education, music theory/composition respectively). A multi-instrumentalist, he plays piano, trombone, and organ among numerous other instruments. He’s a certified music educator, composer, and a freelance music journalist. Faulkner cites music and writing as two of the most important parts of his life. Notably, he’s blessed with a great ear, possessing perfect pitch.